A 12-year-old Denver-area boy was stopped at Denver International Airport on Wednesday when security screeners found an “incendiary device” in his backpack.

Authorities described it as resembling a homemade road flare.

Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said the boy is from metro Denver and was traveling with family members to California when he was stopped about 6:45 a.m. as he passed through a Transportation Security Administration screening.

The boy, who is not named because he is a juvenile, was released to parental custody after questioning. He could face felony charges of possession of an incendiary device and transportation of an incendiary device.